National Design Plaudit for Southern Green
04 October 2007
North East based Chartered Landscape Architects, Southern Green, is continuing to lead the way in transforming the region’s urban landscape with its work for recent project, Trinity Gardens, scooping a national award.
The £55m mixed development on Newcastle’s Quayside is the winner of the Pedestrian Environment category of the Street Design 2007 awards, run in association with Green Space, British Waterways and the RTPI.
Established in 1986, the prestigious Street Design Awards aim to reward innovation and good practice in urban street design schemes undertaken by or in partnership with local authorities.
Trinity Gardens, developed by Silverlink Property Developments in partnership with Newcastle City Council, topped the category from among 45 entries from across the UK. Southern Green worked as part of the core design team alongside architects Waring and Netts and landscape contractor Trevor Atkinson & Co in close liaison with the main contractor Taylor Woodrow.
Trinity Gardens - a development comprising residential, leisure, retail, parking and office space – represents the successful regeneration of a neglected area of land behind Newcastle Law Courts. When work began in 2003 the site was dominated by a large surface car park flanked by overgrown, intimidating landscaped banks to either side. The challenge was to reveal and enhance the many hidden gems in and around the site including parts of the medieval Town Wall, the stunning classical architecture of nearby All Saints church, one only of three elliptical churches in the country, and a range of potential stunning views to the Tyne Bridge and international music centre the Sage Gateshead.
Now completed, Trinity Gardens has created a unique mixed use space which is well used both as an enlivened external space for office workers and city dwellers and as an attractive and practical link between the City Centre and Quayside. In particular the once overgrown old Croft Stairs have been opened up to create an integral new route to the city centre, with planting designed to ensure clear views and improved access. Feature lighting illuminates the vicinity, complementing key landmarks and enhancing overall improvements to the site which is now home to Dickinson Dees, Ward Hadaway and Silverlink themselves as well as a hotel, apartments, multi-story car park and a thriving restaurant scene occupied by the likes of Piccolino and Terry Laybourne’s Café 21.
At the heart of the development is Trinity Place showcasing a 36-tonne carved boulder, ‘Give and Take’ by acclaimed sculptor Peter Randall-Page, set in an amphitheatre of granite seats and steps incorporating an arc of clipped lime trees - now popular as a focal seating area. The integration of the artwork – which also won a Marsh Award for Public Sculpture in 2006 - has been particularly successful in bringing character and individuality to the development and signifies another high profile commission for Peter Randall-Page who has just finished a project for the Eden Project in association with Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners.
Ros Southern, director of Southern Green, said: “We were fortunate to become involved in the design of public spaces at Trinity Gardens from the outset. We are grateful to our client Silverlink who allowed us to work collaboratively with artist Peter Randall-Page, which was an exciting and inspirational design process.
“Looking around now, I believe we really have been able to achieve our aim of creating a public space which is truly welcoming for pedestrians and we get tremendous satisfaction from seeing the many people who enjoy being here every day.”
Matthew Atkins, senior planning officer at the City Council, said: “Trinity Gardens is the culmination of many years of partnership between the City Council, Silverlink and their design team. The result is a well-designed and award-winning scheme that’s a credit to the Quayside and the city.”
Michelle Percy, director of Silverlink, said: “We are delighted to receive further recognition for the design of Trinity Gardens. The quality of the buildings along with the areas of public space was paramount from the outset. The impressive results are a tribute to the vision and creativity of the design team.”
Richard Elphick of Waring and Netts added: “Award-winning schemes are only born from absolute commitment by all of the team and stakeholders and the passion they have for their environment. In this case Silverlink and Newcastle City Council and their consultants have achieved a real uniqueness and sense of place at Trinity Gardens.”
For further information contact Southern Green on 0191 440 003
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